Colombo, Nov 2:
The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday apprehended seven Indian fishermen and seized their trawler for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters.
According to a Navy statement, the fishermen were detained after their vessel crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) north of Talaimannar. The Navy’s North Central Naval Command spotted several Indian fishing trawlers allegedly entering Sri Lankan waters and launched an operation.
The fishermen and the seized vessel will be handed over to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources office in Mannar for further legal proceedings.
The arrests come amid continuing tensions over fishing rights in the Palk Strait, which separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka and is a rich fishing ground for communities on both sides.
Indian fishermen are frequently arrested for allegedly crossing into Sri Lankan waters, while their boats are also seized. Last month, nine Indian fishermen were arrested after allegedly crossing the maritime boundary south of Delft Island in Jaffna.